


(love) falling like the rain

by palateens



Series: Grand Larsony [8]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Multi, NHL Holster, Polyamory Negotiations, So many OCs, intricate polycules are my aesthetic, mild spoilers for Ace Off
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 00:06:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11909070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palateens/pseuds/palateens
Summary: She thinks this is how polyamory is meant to be—not a push and pull of keeping everyone equal, but a steady effort of making sure everyone is acknowledged and loved in their own ways.ORHolster gets traded to Las Vegas and life gets interesting (in the best way).





	(love) falling like the rain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aj4668](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aj4668/gifts).



> ok so this is a long over due follow up but here it is and it's for the lovely Aj4668 who is always an amazing source of support for me in this fandom <3\. it's really fluffy and self-indulgent but I hope you enjoy! a lot of the ensemble cast is from my upcoming series Ace Off (a semi-canonical illustrative fic series about Kent's time in Vegas) 
> 
> so if you'd like to see what these characters are all about, [here is the series primer](https://ace-off.tumblr.com/post/164543660887/ace-off-a-primer-year-1-coming-september-15th), here's [a character style sheet](https://ace-off.tumblr.com/post/164225236972/omgpieplease-say-hello-to-some-key-members-of), and [here is another fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11268279) they were in (which I HOPE I've developed their characters better since then so, forgive any minor inconsistencies)

_Adam holds his hand out for his phone. She presses the talk button for him as she crosses the room. Sitting next to him, Larissa’s hand finds his free one. Whatever’s next, she knows they’re ready. Adam takes a deep breath, putting his phone up to his ear._

_“Hello?”_

_/.\\_

Holster hangs up the phone. His breath is shallow as he bites his lip.

“So?” Lardo asks. “Where are we going?”

“Vegas,” he says, still stunned.

He clenches the dingy carpet in front of them with his toes. He knew the high probability of him getting traded to another team. He just didn’t expect it to be the Aces.

Lardo rubs his shoulder. “So we have shit to talk about.”

Holster snorts. “No kidding.”

She takes a deep breath. Holster takes her hand, kissing it gently.

“I meant it,” he says. “I want you and Rans. You come first, always.”

Lardo’s smile is small, reserved. “Keep telling me that. It helps.”

“I don’t have—” Holster cuts himself off, restarting. “I won’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

Lardo nods slowly, pulling him into a deep kiss. It’s slow and warm, like waking up next to her every morning. He knows better than anyone that when love’s meant to be, it finds ways to work and make sense. Even when it’s different, good love persists in any form.

“You deserve everything,” Lardo says. “I’m not going to stop you from getting everything you’ve always wanted.”

“You’re everything I’ve always wanted,” he insists.

She smirks. “Well hurry up and figure out how to move us to the fucking desert.”

“Oh, you have no idea how easy that’ll be,” Holster says with a chuckle.

He scratches the back of his head. “I, uh, we need to talk to Rans first.”

“You’re the one with the phone,” she says. “Might as well do it now.”

Nervous energy thrums under Holster’s skin. He’s spent over a decade trying to make so many conflicting wants and needs sync up. Suddenly, he can have everyone and everything he’s ever wanted, all in one place. The thought is exhilarating as it is terrifying.

It’s like floating on a cloud of nostalgia. His chest gets a bit lighter as Ransom picks up the phone.

“Vegas, huh?” Ransom says without a hello.

Holster laughs a little too hard. “Is that ok with you?”

“Yea, Holtzy,” he says softly, reminding Holster of how far in life they’ve gone together. “I think that’s exactly where we need to be.”  

_/.\\_

Holster takes the first flight the next morning out of Dulles to Vegas. The Aces are just coming back from a roadie. He rents a car to drive him to a house he’s seen a handful of times. He parks in front of a large two-story white stucco house. He packed the essentials and enough clothing for a month or so. Lardo’s working on subletting their place in Arlington in case they decide Vegas doesn’t work for them. Ransom’s working on packing up the place in Baltimore still.

Truth be told, Holster wore a button up short sleeve shirt just to look presentable. The last time he was this nervous was when he was trying to convince Ransom that they could still be good together, just the two of them. He combs his hair twice with his hand. He gets out of the car, throwing his overnight bag over his shoulder.

The walk to the front door feels like it stretches for decades. In a way, it has. It took eleven years to get here. It took a minor leg injury, going to college, falling in and out of love half a dozen times, signing with the Caps, and a few trysts over the years when nothing made sense but coming to Vegas.

Now Holster doesn’t have to leave. He takes a deep breath, ringing the doorbell. It takes a minute, but he hears shuffling behind the door. A moment later, the deadbolt unlocks and the door flies open.

Mateo Perez, _Perry_ , his first everything is standing there with their mouth half open.

“Hey there,” Holster says meekly.

“Hi,” Perry says, covering their mouth with a hand. “You’re really here.”

“Yea,” Holster says with a smirk. “For good, if you’ll have me.”

In an instant, Perry’s on him, holding him in a bone crushing hug. Perry’s only two inches shorter than Holster, but their body fits perfectly around him. Holster holds them just as tight, inhaling the scent of coconut curling cream.

Perry’s the most compassionate person he knows. They’re steady, self-assured, and so in love with life. They’re a gentle breeze on a hot day. They’re a vibrant desert flower who always makes Holster feel safe. He feels seventeen again. The years between them wash away with a light afternoon storm trickling behind them.

Holster feels Perry tremble a little. He squeezes them tighter.

“You ok?” he asks.   

“You fucker,” they say wetly. “You weren’t kidding.”

“I’ll say it until the day I die, babe.”

“Then say it again,” Perry says.

“I’ll wait forever for you,” Holster says fiercely, just like he did at nineteen, twenty three, twenty five, and every time they’ve seen each other since.

Perry kisses him harshly. Holster can’t tell who’s crying more, but he’s not ashamed. They have each other, now and forever.

_/.\\_

“Chopra, Birkholtz, we’re pairing you up today,” one of the assistant coaches shouts.

“What,” Goose and Holster shout at once.

Holster’s been with the Aces for a week now. It was easy finding a new rhythm with Perry. Nathan Chopra (aka Goose), Perry’s primary partner, however, has been slow to warm. Which Holster respects. It’s one thing to consent to a partner hooking up with someone two or three times a year. It’s another issue entirely to consent to a _metamour_ moving in.

Goose is a good guy, and he and Holster get along well enough. They just aren’t super close. Holster suspects he’d get along better with Lardo if ( _when_ ) they meet.

“Coach,” Goose shouts to the other side of the rink for Kellen. “You signed off on this?”

“New players means shifting lines, Chopra,” she replies. “You know this is standard procedure. Perez, you’re with Hoffman today.”

“Yes ma’am,” Perry says without protest.

“Teamwork will do you good, Chopra,” Kellen says. “Captains shouldn’t be so reluctant to play with other teammates.”

“You’re getting predictable too,” Johnson chirps Goose from between the posts.

Goose mutters something under his breath. But he gives Holster a reassuring nod. They skate pretty well together. It’s easy to get in sync with how Goose plays. Goose breaks out of his stiff facade the second they hit the showers. He’s kind, charming, and a little cocky.

He makes Perry smile just by walking into a room. But of course, Holster knows there’s more to them. He knows Goose always puts Perry first unless his depression gets in the way. He knows that Goose stands a little taller when he believes in what he’s doing.

Holster thinks he’d like to get to know Nathan better. He calls Lardo and Ransom that night after a win against the Yotes. A warmth settles in his chest when he glances over at Goose and Perry watching a movie in the den. He thinks they could make a life here, all of them.

The thought leaves his face aching for hours; he can’t stop smiling.

_/.\\_

Larissa groans, rubbing her eyes with one hand as the other grips the wheel. Justin’s asleep in the back seat, and they’re about ten minutes from Goose and Perry’s place. They were able to sublet both of their apartments. Half their stuff went into storage, and the rest was shipped to Vegas as soon as the Aces made it into the playoffs.

She hums along with the radio under her breath. The gas station coffee she bought at five AM is all too cold now. All she wants to do is get to Perry’s, park, and drag her boys to bed. A month is too long to be away from Holster. But he has a feel for the team and for the kind of life they could have here. He wants to sign with the Aces over the summer, even if they don’t make it far in the playoffs. After getting to hang out with Goose and Perry, albeit over video call, she thinks it’s a pretty good setup.

Perry was pretty adamant about letting them know there was plenty of room for both of them. Judging by the size of the house Lardo pulls up to, she has to agree. Parking the car, she reaches behind her seat, nudging Justin’s shoulder.

He mumbles something.

“Come on, you can sleep inside,” she tells him with a twitched lip.

“Are we there yet?” he asks.

“Yep, home sweet Vegas home,” Larissa says as she pulls her phone out of her pocket.

She dials Adam’s number as they tiredly lock up the car and head to the front door. It’s early in the morning, but it’s already too hot for the Caps hoodie she’s wearing.

Adam picks up the phone after the fourth ring. “Coming,” he says with a groggy voice.

“That’s what she said,” she chirps before he hangs up.

The door opens not a minute later, and Holster ushers them inside. He takes his sweet time kissing them good morning. His breath is disgusting, but Lardo laughs tiredly from how happy she is to see him.

“Fuck I missed you guys,” he murmurs into her hair.

Justin leans against Adam’s shoulder. “Love later, sleep now.”

Adam smiles softly, kissing Justin’s head. “Yea, fair, follow me.”

Larissa yawns loudly, exhaustion catching up to her all at once as they follow him upstairs. The house is spacious and well lit. Her mind is already searching for good places to sketch and for where to set up her studio.

“There’s enough room in the master for all of us, but we can sleep somewhere else,” Adam says.

“Wherever you want,” Justin tells him. “Just let me sleep.”

Turns out, enough space means two king sized beds pushed together. Larissa’s mildly impressed that the room is large enough to accommodate this much sleeping space. Adam gets into the middle next Perry. Lardo sheds her hoodie and pants and gets in next. She lies between him and Justin, who are facing each other, arms gently reaching out to hold the other. Her legs get tangled easily with Adam’s.

She briefly looks over his shoulder, her eyes catching Perry, who’s giving her a soft, subdued grin. She falls asleep with a smile on her face. They all want what’s best for each other. She thinks this is how polyamory is meant to be—not a push and pull of keeping everyone equal, but a steady effort of making sure everyone is acknowledged and loved in their own ways.

Larissa has a good feeling about Vegas.   

_/.\\_

Larissa’s sipping a piña colada at ten AM on a Tuesday because she can. She’s sitting by the pool while Justin swims laps. There’s plenty of jobs for graphic design in Vegas; it’s just a matter of narrowing down the list.

“What if I work for the Aces?” She shouts.

Justin looks up from his backstroke. He stops swimming. “If you want to spend the rest of your life around hockey, sure.”

She snorts. “Look around, babe. I’m already spending the rest of my life around hockey.”

“It’s Vegas,” he argues. “Find something new.”

“Point taken,” Larissa agrees. “How’s your job hunt going?”

Justin rolls his eyes. “Anything I do is starting over from square one.”

Lardo shrugs. “You gotta do something.”

“I know,” he says. “I’ll work on it. Worst case scenario, I’ll cady for a week.”

She hums incredulously. “Seems like a lot of work just for motivation to get a better job.”

He shrugs. “I got nothing right now.”

On the other side of the house, the front door slams shut. She figures it’s the guys, home from practice.

“Isn’t it a little early for drinking,” an unfamiliar voice chirps.

“It’s five o’clock somewhere,” Larissa retorts as she turns around.

The voice is coming from a latino guy who looks vaguely familiar. He stares at Lardo with a confused glare for a moment. He points to her.

“Is this 1041 or 1042 Elm?” he asks.

“1041,” she says.

“So this isn’t the rental,” he says mostly to himself. “Ok, hi, I’m Osiel and I have no clue who you are.”

“Oh, dude,” Justin says as he gets out of the pool. “Justin Oluransi, nice to meet you. I’m a big fan. You and Carter were the best lineys I’ve ever seen.”

Osiel shakes his hand very stiffly. He looks at Lardo, clearly a tad on edge.

“Larissa Duan, look I don’t know who you are—”

“Lards, this guy lived with Kent for _years_ ,” Justin explains.

Lardo frowns. She looks at Osiel again. “Oh,” she shouts. “You’re Ozzy.”

“I thought we established that,” Ozzy says bluntly.

“Bro, I’m Lardo,” she says as she stands up. “Kent talked about you all the fucking time back in Boston.”

It takes Ozzy a second to respond. “Oh, you’re _that_ Lardo. Which means you’re Holster’s Ransom. Cool.”

“Yea that’s us,” Justin says amicably.

“Assholes didn’t tell me anyone was home,” he mutters. “So you’ve got drinks out...happy hour or crappy hour?”

“A little of both,” Larissa answers honestly. “Putting off job hunting more than we should, at least.”

Ozzy nods. “So did they tell you if anyone’s renting next door right now?”

“I think it’s empty,” Justin says. “Uh, I can ask?”

“No that’s fine. I can crash on the couch tonight, worst case scenario,” Ozzy says.

“You sure about that? I think there’s room upstairs,” Lardo says as she stands. “Here, I know a few that are free.”

Ozzy follows her upstairs.

“So how’s Florida treating you?” she asks. “That’s where Kent said you got traded to right?”

“Unfortunately,” he grumbles. “Not like it was Kellen’s fault the GM sucks. Got another two years on this stupid contract.”

“What are you doing after that?”

“Coming back here one way or another,” he says. “Even if I have to retire.”

“Really?”

“Yea,” he says with a snort. “It’s home.”

“Honey, I’m home,” Kent shouts from downstairs.

Lardo and Ozzy share an eye roll, laughing at how hard they’ll chirp Kent once they’re back downstairs. She never thought of Vegas as somewhere that could be a home. It always felt like this nebulous universe outside of the reality of New England. But here they were, enjoying the middle of the fucking desert. There’s something to be said about people and things that can thrive under pressure.

Ozzy offers her a high five and small grin. She’s beginning to see how life can flourish out here.

_/.\\_

_And Ottawa takes it in the fourth game of this series._

Kent and Ransom are watching some of the Eastern Conference games while the Aces travel to Texas. Ozzy and Lardo are working on a mural in one of the bedrooms. They’ve taken to painting the entire house in between hiking trips. She keeps saying she’s looking for jobs. But judging by the freelance projects she works on in the evenings and how many instagram followers she’s been racking up since they moved here, Justin can guess that a full time gig isn’t in the cards until September or so.

Meanwhile, he’s been looking. He knows there are things he can do with a bachelor's in Biology; it’s just a matter of what he’d want to do without stabbing himself in the eye. He’s starting to think that maybe school or training or something is the way to go.

“Fucking Senators,” Kent mutters into Justin’s chest.

He can’t tell if it’s that he and Kent have a good level of trust and need for physical affection between them, or if there’s something in the water, but the longer they stay in this house the more Justin feels a connection with everyone who lives here.  

He looks down at Kent, lip twitching. “What’s wrong with the Senators?”

“Nothing,” Kent admits. “I just need them to fucking lose already.”

Justin vaguely recalls Jeff Troy signing with the Senators a few years back. He always wondered what made an A want to leave his team.

“How’s Bitty?” he asks instead.

“Fine, I think,” Kent says.

“You think?”

“Yea, uh.” Kent readjusts himself so he’s more sitting in Justin’s lap than laying on top of him. “He’s working on things with Jack.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“Does it matter?” Kent asks curtly. “Look, I’m happy for them. Whatever Bits wants, I’ll move heaven and earth for.”

“So is that why you aren’t in Boston?”

“Kinda. They deserve to figure things out on their own without me complicating shit.”

Justin still doesn’t get it. “Why?”   

Kent runs a hand through his hair. “There’s a difference between ‘Jack needs to stop taking everyone for granted’ and ‘I love you so much I’ll pick up my life and move with you.’ I can’t be the reason Bits throws away everything he’s ever wanted.”

Kent sighs. “And I’m happy Jack is getting his head out of his ass, but I can’t be around him all the time. He was right, we’re a fucking time bomb.”

“Bitty doesn’t want to leave,” Justin thinks out loud.

Kent shrugs, burying his head in Ransom’s shoulder. “It is what it is. I told him the door’s open to whatever he wants. I’ll be here, or I can be a call away.”

“And you’re ok with that? Waiting for someone to decide if they’re ready to commit to you over someone else.”

“I did that for years with Jack,” he says simply.

“You don’t have to do that for Bitty,” Justin argues.

“Yea, well, I’d still be a fucking hypocrite if I didn’t at least try to make this work,” he grumbles.

The front door unlocks. Justin frowns, unsure of who else owns a key to this house.

“Speaking of which,” Kent says before patting Justin’s shoulder and hopping off him. “I think it’s time you met my boyfriend.”

Justin gawks at him.

“I’m quitting,” a voice shouts from the entrance. “I’m fucking quitting this time.”

Justin watches Kent tackle Matthew Park, a face he only recognizes from the 2013 Stanley Cup finals. Kent pulls him into a harsh kiss. Park’s frown lines melt along with his tense posture.

Kent pulls away slightly. “Rans this is the sexiest director in Hollywood, Parker. Parker, this Perry’s metamour Ransom.”

Parker puts an arm around Kent as he offers an awkward hand wave. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Justin says as he offers a handshake. “Why am I surprised that Kent Parson has a secret boyfriend?”

“We didn’t hang out that much before you started dating Lards,” Kent offers.

“If I’m so sexy, why isn’t he complaining about your camera roll?” Parker chirps him.

Kent blushes. “He hasn’t seen my camera roll.”

“Bullshit,” Parker says. “What’d you do? Upload dick picks to your fucking cloud?”

Kent purses his lips. Justin holds back laughter.

“No,” Justin says incredulously. “You didn’t.”

“Maybe I have a few saved somewhere,” he admits begrudgingly.

Justin loses it at how beet red Kent looks. Parker kisses the top of his blonde head.

“C’mon you assholes,” Kent says as he yanks Parker and Ransom further into the house. “I’ll make dinner while you two chirp me some more.”

Parker tells them about his last film and some leads he has for his next project. Kent asks a lot of questions about how Parker’s ADs were, and did he eat more than just crap from craft services. Justin listens in rapture as Kent and Parker talk about post-production phases and how soon Parker needs to go back to look at the first cut of the film.

Kent was right; Justin doesn’t know him that well. Sure he’s seen the Parse that’s thoughtful about hockey strategy and can make anyone feel important. But he’s caring, devoted, and a lot of fun to be around.

Justin realizes that there’s something special about this group of hockey players. Something he hasn’t seen since he was in college. They’re more than just teammates, they’re family. Justin has no idea why Bitty would ever want to stay in Boston when he could have all of this. Then again, maybe it isn’t for everyone.

_/.\\_

Larissa dabs her paintbrush into a mauve paint. She’s painting dahlias across Justin’s back in her studio. No one had felt like moving to the bed once she started working. Which was fine with her, considering bodies are easier to paint when people are relaxed and still. Adam promised to let her paint him as soon as he got back from Seattle. The Aces beat the Schooners the night before and are officially on their way to the Western Conference finals.

It’s crazy to her that the playoffs are already halfway done. Baltimore feels like years ago. She can hardly remember life in Boston. Vegas is too dry and too loud, but it’s also thrilling and wide open skies that stretch on forever. It’s finding a little something to love about each person that trickles into the house...houses, since Parker showed up and Kent started sleeping in his own house again.

It’s easy to find quiet spots in the desert to paint. Some local galleries have approached her about the murals she’s been plastering on the walls of the houses. She’s hoping some of her abstract color studies catch someone’s attention. There’s a lot about light, darkness, and temperature to play with around a city obsessed with neon.

She still misses Adam when he’s gone, but not like she used to. It isn’t a deep ache that begs for love and validation. Instead, there’s a steady undercurrent of love to keep her afloat. Larissa misses him in the happy moments more than anything, wishing he could get to know the others guys like she and Justin are.  

“I expected playoffs to be different,” she thinks out loud.

“How come?” Justin asks.

“I thought he’d be more distant, maybe more aggressive,” Larissa shakes her head. “I don’t know. Guess I was worried for nothing.”

“No, not for nothing,” he says. “Holtzy’s different alright. He never expected to get this far in the NHL. He’s happy.”

“Good,” she says softly. “And are you?”

“Happy?” he asks, turning his head slightly toward her. “Yea I think so.”

“Is it time to have the talk?” Larissa asks none-too-subtly.

Justin hums. “Which talk?”

“The ‘Can I date Kent talk’,” she clarifies with a smirk.

“I—” he stops himself, fingers digging into the mattress. “Huh.”

She keeps talking. “Hey he’s a good guy. I approve, but I want to hear what you want, and if he’s cool with it.”

“I—fuck, I like him don’t I?”

“I thought you knew that,” Lardo says, putting her brush in the paint water.

She gets up awkwardly, walking around to the front of the bed. She sits on the floor cross legged so she and Justin can make eye contact.

“You looked so gone for him yesterday when he reminded Ozzy you’re allergic to shellfish,” she says softly. “I thought, you know, you were warming up to talking about it with us.”

She notices the way Justin’s eyes flicker like they do when he’s working through something complex. Larissa doesn’t rush him. She sits patiently, humming under her breath. She likes hanging out with Ozzy because he encourages her to stim when she needs to. It’s a lot more support than she’s ever gotten—even from Jack, who admittedly had a lot of bullshit to unlearn. Not that Adam and Justin aren’t supportive. But it’s not something she brings up on her own a lot.     

“I don’t know if it’s going to work out,” Justin admits. “I want to try.”

“There’s no shame in that,” she comments.

“I know,” he says. “I guess I’m not used to asking for things.”

Lardo hums some dopey love song she heard on the radio the other day. She caresses his right cheek with her fingertips.

“I think you like him because he takes care of people,” she reasons out loud. “You give a lot, and sometimes, you forget it’s a two way street.”

“Yea, I know,” he says. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Larissa says quietly. “That’s why I’m saying go for it. See what happens. Holtzy and I will be here no matter what.”

Justin smiles softly, pursing his lips out for her to kiss. Larissa shifts up into a kneel, kissing him slowly. Even if they weren’t primary partners, she trusts Justin enough to always be honest with them.

_/.\\_

The next night, Schooners starting center Carter Harris shows up for dinner as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. He shows up before the Aces do.

“Traitors knocked me out of the playoffs,” Carter complains half heartedly.

Ozzy kisses Carter like they’re an old married couple. Justin looks over at Lardo ,who’s shrugging. Her expression is bemused yet uncertain. He’ll have to ask about that later. Holster, Perry, Goose, and Johnny trickle in in time for dinner. The table isn’t big enough for everyone, so they end up eating pasta around the sectional while watching _The Jeffersons_.

Jeff Troy shuffles in sometime around ten. His hair is messy and the bags under his eyes are deep purple. His tie is loose and crumbled. He drops his bag next to the coffee table.

“I’m so fucking sick of Canada,” he says without preamble.

Kent jumps off the couch. He tentatively reaches out for Jeff’s face, before recoiling as if he were burned. Justin pretends like he isn’t watching every second of their interaction, unlike Johnson and Ozzy who are literally eating popcorn as they watch.  

Jeff takes a step forward, taking Kent’s hand in his.

“I’m sorry,” Kent says. “You played so fucking well. They were idiots not to—I was an idiot.”

Jeff snorts. “You apologized a long time ago.”

“Yea, well, I wanna do it again,” he says, gripping Jeff’s sleeves tightly. “I’m sorry. Fuck him, ok? I’m done.”

Jeff furrows his brows. “What? Forever?”

“Super fucking serious,” Kent says. “I’m here. I wanna be here.”

He wraps his arms around Kent. “What about Bittle?”

“I don’t know,” Kent admits. “Guess we’ll have to see.”  

Jeff kisses Kent’s forehead. Justin hears Adam murmur something like “too fucking cute.” From the corner of his eye, he sees Parker shaking his head.

“What am I going to do with you losers,” Parker says as he ushers them out. “Don’t come over until tomorrow. You’re all sexiled, got it?”

“Crystal,” Lardo says with a thumbs up.

Justin laughs as Ozzy and Johnny chirp them well after they’re gone. Carter berates them to mind their own business. Justin settles further into Larissa’s arms as she massages his scalp. He briefly glances up her and Adam, wondering if a year ago they could’ve been nearly as happy as they look now.

_/.\\_

Larissa places Caitlin’s donut pillow down on the seat next to her. Dex and Ransom help Farmer ease down onto it. There’s still ten minutes until the third game of the Western Conference finals. The Sharks and Aces are tied so far with one win each.

“You know we could’ve flown to San Jose right?” Lardo asks incredulously. “You didn’t have to come visit when you’re seven months pregnant.”

“Oh I know,” Caitlin says calmly. “But you’re visiting next game, got it?”

“Yes,” Justin answers for them. “Did your doctor even clear you for travel?”

Caitlin shrugs innocently.

Dex rolls his eyes. “It was strongly discouraged, but no, technically this is fine,” he explains. “Just fine.”

Lardo, Ransom, and Farmer chuckle. Dex pretends to be annoyed. He gets into a good conversation with Carter about software programming while Ozzy and Farmer talk about Mexican food. Lardo holds Ransom’s hand through the game. She listens to him and Kent pretend that they’re not flirting.

“I will pay you two to stop dancing around each other,” Parker says after the second period.

Lardo has to stop herself from laughing at Ransom’s blush. The Aces win 3 to 1. Ransom asks Kent out after the game. Lardo and Holster have really awesome post game sex before falling asleep to _American Ninja Warrior_. All in all, it’s a good day.

_/.\\_

Lardo answers the door during breakfast three days before the start of the Stanley Cup finals. Bitty’s standing there with a roller suitcase, a green satchel bag, and an Aces jersey on. Lardo balks. She knew he could show up any day now. But those odds were like the chance of Vegas getting rain. Just because it _could_ happen doesn’t mean it _will_.

Bitty wrings his hands. “Can I come in?”

She nods, moving aside. They aren’t metamours, or anything close, anymore. They’re friends, she thinks. It’s up to Kent to kick Bitty out if he wants. She notices that his jersey is an old Parson one. Lardo wonders how long he’s kept that at the back of his closet. Maybe before that kegster back in ‘14.

Kent’s arguing with Parker about rom-coms when he notices Bitty standing in front of the table. He drops his fork in his scrambled eggs. “Hi,” he says.

“Hi, baby,” Bitty says quietly. “When you said full house, you really meant it huh?”

“Uh, yea, that’s kinda an understatement,” Kent says with a sheepish grin. “What’re you doing here?”

Bitty grips the strap of his satchel. “I came to see my other boyfriend and to meet my metamours. Excluding Ransom, that is. I already know him.”

She watches Kent’s eyes brighten more than they have in a while. It reminds her that they have a lot in common. And that sometimes, not needing someone doesn’t mean not missing them every single day.

_/.\\_

The night before the first game of the finals, everyone goes to bed early. Holster watches in amusement as Lardo and Goose quickly fall asleep, snoring within an inch of each other.

“We need ear plugs,” Perry whispers as they cling to Ransom.

“You’ve made it this far in the season, what’s another week?” Ransom chirps.

“Got me there,” Perry says.

Holster knows that good things don’t last forever. But he’s determined to savor every moment of it possible.

“Gotta say,” Ransom murmurs into Perry’s shoulder. “I’m happy here.”

“Yea,” Holster says. “Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> fic title - lyrics from Ultralife by Oh Wonder 
> 
> thanks to [polyamorousparson](https://polyamorousparson.tumblr.com/) for being the world's most amazing beta (as always) 
> 
> [Come find me on Tumblr](http://abominableobriens.tumblr.com/)
> 
> there's more to come! (eventually, I have to shift some things around after this installation)


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